Sweet Possibilities
by tmwillson3
Summary: A series of unrelated one-shots from prompts on livejournal. All the Jareth, Sarah, and goblins you could ask for, with plenty of romance. Lots of fluff. Chapter 5: Have Stick, Will Travel. Crossover time!
1. Chapter 1: One Samhain Night

One Samhain Night

**Author's Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth. All rights go to their respective owners. Hey look! A new Labyrinth story! Sorry about the delay. Anyway, I finally joined livejournal and labyfic, and they do prompts. I decided to combine the prompt idea with my desire to write a Halloween fic since I did not do one this year (very sad). The main ideas for this story come from the picture prompt on livejournal, and an image from **_**The Goblins of Labyrinth. **_** Brian Froud included some concept art in it, including (what I assumed to be) an image of Sarah sitting on a ledge, holding a mask. I love that image and wanted to capture it in a story, so I did. Forgive me for my awkward ability to describe. I hope you enjoy!**

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"Sarah, can I have your extra candy?"

"Of course, Toby. Tomorrow. Right now, you need to go to bed."

"But I want to play with the goblins."

"Tomorrow, Tobes. They'll be back. Besides, I remember them saying that there is a special party Underground tonight, so they're probably at that."

Sarah leaned in and kissed her little step-brother on the forehead before heading to the door.

"Will you go?"

Sarah stopped for a moment to consider Toby's question. She could be honest. At this point, why not?

"Yes, I'm going. The Goblin King said that he got me a special dress for tonight."

"Can I go with you?" Toby said as he yawned.

"Not tonight, Squirt. When you're older."

"Promise?"

"Of course. This is my first one so I can tell you about it later."

"Oh boy. Can't wait," yawned Toby again.

"Good night, Toby. I love you."

"Love you, too. Night, Sarah, and say hi to the Goblin King for me."

At that, Sarah closed the door and headed to her bedroom. Halloween as she knew it was now over, now that Toby and she had come home, traded candy, and blown out the candles in their carved pumpkins before putting Toby to bed. But, the night was still young, and Sarah had plans of her own.

True, she had never attended a Samhain revelry before, but over time, she had come to trust Jareth more. The last couple years had given her a chance to attend events held in the Goblin Kingdom, the first one being the yearly celebration for the Labyrinth Champion, the Champion's Ball.

Sarah liked shaking hands with all of the goblins who inhabited the Goblin Kingdom, and she was glad when she could leave to escape all the drunken singing that always happened when they toasted their Champion. Jareth could not, but he was used to it by now.

Once she started attending the Champion's Ball for a few years, Jareth asked her to attend a party at the castle, and Sarah had loved meeting people from other kingdoms, prompting her to suggest to Jareth that she would be willing to attend more parties.

And so it happened that a box appeared on Sarah's bed on night, accompanied with a letter. The letter invited Sarah to attend the Samhain revelry that Jareth hosted each year. His only condition was that she wait for him to show her around, since she was still a mortal and could be seen as a lost mortal for sacrifice.

Inside the box was the outfit Sarah was to wear for the revelry. Different types of folk wore certain colors and outfits. For Samhain, masks were customary, and so Sarah had a white mask that covered her whole face, a red ribbon to hold it in place. The mask matched her outfit, a thin, white dress that went to her knees and had fitted, long sleeves. While it hugged her curves at her midsection, it billowed out at the bottom.

The soft cotton felt good on her body, and when she went outside in the dress, she felt warm. It was balmy for a New England Halloween, and the slight breeze felt good on her grown-out hair as she let it fall about her face.

Once outside, Sarah made the trek to the meeting place she and Jareth had agreed on. Walking through the now-dark streets, Sarah eventually made it to the park where she had used to read _Labyrinth _out loud. Once she crossed the bridge, she headed into the forest, taking the path Jareth had shown her.

When Sarah arrived at the meeting place, Sarah leaned against a tree, waiting for Jareth to appear. When Jareth was fifteen minutes late, Sarah began to worry.

Then, she heard a sound not far away.

Sarah got up from the tree to investigate the noise. After walking a few feet away, she saw a faint glow in the distance, as well as heard what she thought was singing. Sarah was about to head back to her tree to continue waiting for Jareth when she saw several goblins come toward her, waving and jumping up and down. She waited for them to get to her, just in case he had sent them in his place. He had sent her trio of friends in his place for her second party, so it was possible.

"Lady! You late!"

"So is your king," said Sarah with a little irritation.

"He stuck in meeting and late. Wants to see you bad. Come with us!"

As the goblins spoke, one of the goblins pulled his hands out from behind him, revealing a flower crown with white and light pink blooms. He smiled up at Sarah and held out the crown to her, so she took it and put it on. She started to put on her mask as well, but the goblins made a fuss, so she did not put it on.

All the goblins seemed excited to lead her to the kingdom, so she followed them. They had not gone far before the volume of the singing became much louder, and likewise, the glow became bigger and brighter. A little more distance showed that there were figures dancing around a giant bonfire.

When they were close to the clearing where the bonfire was, Sarah saw the veil. It had always been said that the veil between the two worlds was thinnest on that night, and Sarah had to agree. Every time she had ever gone through it, it had taken time to get through, the distance and the light fog that always appeared magically. Tonight, though, no such fog existed, and it was easy to see how close she was to everyone else.

Sarah reached out to touch the veil, but then the goblins tugged at her dress.

"This way, lady!" they said, pointing to the right.

And so they went to the right, Sarah assuming that they were leading her to Jareth. When they came upon the veil again, the goblins went through, leaving Sarah to stare at it. It seemed much brighter and hazier there, and Sarah did not understand why until she also stepped through the veil.

What Sarah saw made her gasp. All around her were white Christmas lights. Every branch and tree had the lights draped around them, creating a pathway to walk under, and with the light playing off of the dried leaves, it certainly was a sight. She felt as though she were under a house of light.

Jareth had definitely done this for her, since he did not like using electricity or anything modern like that. Jareth knew how much she liked Christmas and decorating, so perhaps that was where he thought of this. She would thank him for this when she found him, whenever that was.

There were moments like this that Sarah held very pleasant thoughts about the Goblin King. He could be arrogant and full of himself sometimes, and he had a habit of trying to provoke her to get a rise from her, whether or not there were others around.

At the same time, he was known to arrange little things like this for her from time to time, whether it was allowing her to pick out her dresses for the Champion's Ball, or letting her friends lead her in. He was also a great dancer, and she was lucky that he took it upon himself to dance with her at least half of the time to make her feel comfortable when she first started attending the balls.

Close to the gazebo of lights was a small bench, and Sarah sat down on it, enjoying the view. However, it was not long before the singing drew her attention again. She was curious, and so she wandered over to the fire.

When Sarah got close to the fire, she was able to make out the fae in attendance. All sang loudly in a language she did not understand, but that was fine with her. It was melodious and joyful, and she could not ask for more.

Once one of the fae noticed her, she waved to Sarah to join them. Sarah was glad to join, but in her joy, she did not notice the sinister look that crossed the fae's features, or the similar looks that came onto others' faces.

Once Sarah was in the inner circle, the group began to chant and dance, joining hands around Sarah. For several minutes, Sarah enjoyed the atmosphere, until the chanting's rhythm became faster, and several of those in the circle began giving Sarah hungry looks.

As the chanting hit its apex, Sarah saw everyone's faces turn toward her. Then, they let go of each other's hands to reach toward her before stepping toward her. That gesture, combined with their faces, suddenly reminded Sarah of when she had been in the firey forest, with the fireys coming toward her as though to try to take off her head.

For one brief moment, she thought she was seeing things as one of the fae looked at her, his bright red, hairy mask seeming to turn into a firey, and Sarah panicked.

With reflexes perfected from years of tag and hide-and-go-seek with her younger brother, Sarah braced herself and ducked. Then, she dove under the outstretched arms and took to running as fast as she could. As she ran, she heard loud cries of anger and frustration, along with the crashing of feet giving chase, and it occurred to Sarah that perhaps she had almost been used as a part of their celebration that night, as Jareth had warned her.

Sarah continued to run when that realization hit her, and all she could think about was Jareth. How she wished that he was there, protecting her or otherwise holding her close. Perhaps then she would not have to worry about losing her life, or having to deal with sticks and thorny plants that scratched her as she ran through them.

How she wished that she had waited, and Jareth had not been late. That she could just enjoy herself as she had in the past with him, even if it was not realistic to always be like that. That instead of doing the limbo to avoid low branches, she could dance the waltz with Jareth, as she had several times now. It filled her lonely nights when she tried to fall asleep, and she feared that this night would also join the ranks, though as a nightmare she wished to forget.

How Sarah wished that it were not some fae chasing her, but rather, Toby and Jareth, teaming up as they had in the past, plotting behind trees and then screaming their battle cry (Toby's idea) as they ran to catch up to Sarah (Jareth usually). The two made a good team, especially when they were fighting against Sarah.

Once Sarah was in the forest some ways, she stopped to see if she was still being pursued. She did not hear any branches crackling or see anything, besides the omnipresent glitter that seemed to coat everything in the Labyrinth. She was not sure if she was in the firey forest or not, but she hoped not for her sake.

Sarah decided to go back to the bench where she had been before and weaved her way through the creaky trees and fallen, stale leaves. When she was close, she heard leaves being crunched. She stopped.

Waiting a few moments, she heard nothing, so she continued. Then, she heard more crushed leaves. She stopped and still heard nothing. She continued looking all around, but could not see anything. She ran faster, and the snapping of branches became louder.

Sarah kept looking around as she ran, and she was forced to stop when she saw two trees in her path. Not only did the crunching increase in sound, but she finally saw movement. She took a couple quiet steps closer to the two trees until she felt a branch touch her right shoulder, and another one touch her leg near her knee.

Sarah kept looking around until she heard what she thought was someone's heavy breathing. She waited a few moments, and it became louder. She saw nothing until she felt heat on her right shoulder. When she looked that way, Sarah jumped and staggered back a step.

From her lips, she breathed, "Jareth."

She did not know what it was, but she was afraid. There was a large, furry beast, as tall as Ludo, but thinner and darker in color. The beast's paws (she assumed they were) were shaped just like Ludo's, but its head was vastly different. Instead of the simple horns and kind face of Ludo, the beast of her nightmares had the face of a goat, long and thin, with orange bulging eyes, a long nose, and a small goatee at the bottom of its face.

The thing growled at her, its sound a cross between a dog's bark and Ludo's rock call. It was only when she tried to take more steps away that she realized that one of the upper paws had claws, and those claws were in fact caught in her right sleeve.

Sarah's fight or flight reflex kicked in, and she chose to run. She yanked her right arm away, creating a large gash in her dress from the sleeve to the back of the dress. She went in the opposite direction of the beast, running with all her might. She kicked bushes out of the way of her feet, and she pushed or pulled out any branches that stood in her way.

Still, the echoing footsteps kept coming. At one point, it seemed as though another beast had joined the pursuit, but not for long. Every now and then, she would see its face, and she shrieked when she saw it.

After one time when it got particularly close, Sarah got an extra burst of energy. She made more turns, going deeper into the forest. She stopped when a branch got stuck in the bottom of her dress.

She waited, and heard nothing. She waited more, and then she heard more footfalls.

She heaved the branch out, only to pull apart her dress at the bottom, but still, the branch would not become unstuck. After several more tries, she simply ripped the bottom part of the dress off of her, allowing her to run again.

When she ran this time, she was more careful to step lightly, and it paid off. The beast ran in a different direction, and she did not try to stop it. After she heard no sound, she moved a little further to a small clearing. She realized that the entire forest was thinning out, and that she was close to the walls of the Labyrinth, meaning she had gotten in deep, perhaps even close to where she had entered the forest with Ludo.

Dazed and tired, Sarah sat on the ground. After twenty minutes of no sound, her heart beat slower, and she thought that she was safe. She wandered over to an area next to the wall, and sat on a rocky outcropping.

As she looked around to take stock of her situation, she realized several things. First, somehow she still held Jareth's mask in her hand. Second, she felt her flower crown, and realized that several flowers had been lost. Her person was a little worse for wear, with her legs scraped from the tree branches that she passed, and soreness all around.

Sarah closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall and her flyaway hair. Pulling up one knee, she took off her shoes to rub her feet, as well as remove any little bits of thorns and branches that might have gotten stuck to her in some way.

Sarah remained sitting for some time, unsure of where she was. How she would get back, she had no idea, but she knew that the goblins and Jareth would eventually come looking for her.

When Jareth came back to mind, Sarah was torn between a desire to hug him and strangle him. She would do anything to get out of the mess she had gotten herself into, and she found great comfort in Jareth's strong arms. At the same time, he had invited her out during a time that was probably not safe for her, and she regretted agreeing to come out. She should have known better, but she was curious and trusted Jareth. She chose to ignore the warning and still wandered toward the bonfire.

Sarah wanted to call out on the off-chance that someone was looking for her, but she was also afraid that someone else might find her who would not have such benevolent purposes. She was frustrated.

Sarah mumbled, "Oh, how I wish Jareth were here right now. I'd give him a word or two!"

Sarah looked at the ground for several more moments, frustration and cold taking over. She wanted to go home, and that was when she felt it. The breeze.

It was no ordinary breeze. This was Jareth's calling card, that slight gust of wind that swirled around and covered everything and anything in its wake with glitter. Sure enough, she saw swirls of glitter pass her by, and she sighed. She was safe. Then, she felt a gloved hand on her right shoulder.

"Sarah, love? Are you alright?"

"What do you think, Great Goblin King? Do I look alright?"

Sarah turned around to face Jareth then, a wave of warm joy filling her as she saw the familiar eyes (now more concerned) and face (cocked lower), and yet she still could not help but vent her frustration upon him. She was not sure who she was more annoyed with at that moment, Jareth or herself, even if her annoyance toward Jareth was unfounded. She did not see the relief that had flashed across Jareth's face when he first saw her, as concern for her well-being took over.

"No. You look awful. You're all scratched up, and my present has been ruined. You've been crying."

Sarah felt the warm tears at that moment.

"Not for long. They're tears of joy. I can finally leave this place."

Sarah's voice cracked as finished what she said, and Jareth took that moment to pull her into his arms, sighing softly at her choice of phrase. He had worked too hard to let go of her now.

"I'm here now, Precious. All will be well. Do you want to go home, or may I take you to the castle first to get cleaned up?"

It was tempting to just go home and fall asleep in bed. She would sleep well tonight. But, the idea of leaving Jareth at that moment filled her with a strange shortness of breath she could not explain. He had asked at least, something he had been slowly learning to do with her instead of just whisking her away whenever he felt it necessary.

Sarah looked into his eyes and said, "Castle, please."

In a flash of light and glitter, Sarah was in the main throne room, now dirtier than ever from partying goblins, and Jareth sat down in his throne, cradling Sarah as softly as he could. Now was not the time for reprimand, not if he wanted her to stay.

Goblins appeared, and Jareth ordered them to get the healer, as well as certain salves. While they waited, Jareth murmured comforting words in her ear, apologizing for being late and everything else that had happened.

Sarah was quiet for a time, content to just feel warm and safe. Soon, the healer came and inspected Sarah, and he gave Jareth the necessary salves and reported that Sarah was otherwise not injured. Then, the healer left, and Jareth took to applying the salves to Sarah's body. As he applied, Sarah told Jareth of her adventures.

"All done, Precious."

"Thank you, Jareth. I appreciate you doing this."

"Is there anything else I can do?"

"Would you mind if I did not come back to the Underground for a while? I know it's my fault for wandering about, but-"

"I understand," he said, his words a little more brittle than he liked.

"Thanks. I just need some time."

"Is there anything that could help to calm you down after all that has just happened?"

Jareth waited for her to want to go home and leave him alone, yet again. Sarah paused for a moment, and she realized that she had not mentioned anything about the lights when she had first entered. She smiled.

"Actually, there is. It's when I first entered with the goblins. Those lights."

Jareth's eyes lit up. "You liked my surprise?"

"Very much."

"Then let's go there."

Sarah blinked, and she was seated on the bench, Jareth beside her. All thoughts of cold had left her now that Jareth was beside her, and any fear that she may have felt from the bonfire was replaced by the solid protection of Jareth's arms. Yes, this was good. This was the way it should be always.

Sarah's mind continued on in that strain as she looked around and tried not to stare at Jareth's growing smile (smug already about his good job, no doubt), until she analyzed what it was she was thinking. Always? When had she wanted to always be with him? Did he have any such feelings as he once professed?

Sarah had not thought that she had moved when she had that lightbulb moment, but apparently she had, as Jareth pulled her closer to him.

"Is something wrong, Sarah?"

"How long have you been searching for me?"

Jareth did not wait long to answer, his annoyance showing.

"From the moment those idiotic goblins said that they had brought you in my realm."

"How did you find me?"

"You said your right words," he said with a smile, "even if you wished to say some unladylike things to me."

Sarah giggled before responding, "I really must remember those words better."

"Sarah, why are you curious?"

Sarah pulled away before answering.

"I was afraid that you had not been searching for me at all, that you didn't even realize I was here or missing."

"Never, Sarah. I was more worried than I'll ever admit aloud. I know what my kind is capable of, and I didn't want to lose you again."

"Again?"

"When you said I had no power over you. It required your wish for me to come back, and I made sure to fulfill that wish with the ball."

"I enjoyed our time together. I hope we can have more times like that."

"I'd give you much more if you wanted it."

Sweet possibility filled Sarah's eyes. Sarah turned her head to face Jareth as she said, "You would?"

Jareth's voice dropped lower, her view of him finally changing to that of a lover.

"Yes. Allow me to show you how much."

Jareth kissed Sarah then, and she put up no resistance. The night that had seemed so dreadful no longer was. Now, she had more possibilities than she had ever considered before, but she was not thinking about all that right now.

The only thing that mattered right now was that she was sitting under some of the most beautiful lights she had ever seen, and that she was in the arms of Jareth, desired more than she could imagine. Tonight was only the beginning.

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**Author's Notes: Aww, it's a more protective Jareth. So, who was expecting all that fluff at the end? If you were not, then you have not read enough of my stories/fluff. Consider this a late Halloween offering, and look for more prompt-inspired stories. So glad to be out of my Labyrinth rut. It's hard to believe that it's already December! I hope everyone is ready for a well-deserved Christmas break/vacation and stays safe. I know I am. Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! **


	2. Chapter 2: Goblin Gifts

Goblin Gifts

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I don't own Labyrinth, or the Nutcracker. All rights go to their respective owners. This is another prompt response for livejournal, a seasonal one (Tis' the Season) that included an Advent calendar. Also, I have only taken one dance lesson at the age of four, and I claim no knowledge of ballet, other than what I read on wikipedia. I apologize for any wrong terminology. I have seen The Nutcracker a few times, and I went to Busch Gardens recently, watching a beautiful bit of ballet, including a man in all white that inspired Jareth here. It's more glorious holiday fluff. I hope you enjoy it!**

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The goblins had one rule: do not let Sarah see them while they watch her.

Because, if they got caught, Sarah would see them, and then she would get mad and tell their King. And if the King found out, then they were all going for an extended vacation to the Bog. They did not want to spend any time in the Bog of Eternal Stench, so they made it a habit to not let Sarah see them, even if they stole her things from time to time. She had nice socks, after all.

And then one day, a goblin got caught.

Poor Skampers. He just could not scamper away fast enough.

To his great surprise, Sarah did not look shocked that he was trying to make off with the remnants of some mashed potatoes and stuffing from Thanksgiving that Sarah had left to cool on her desk. Not only did she smile at him, but she let him take it home! And then, she did not tell Jareth!

The entire goblin population was amazed! They had to thank Sarah somehow for being so generous. And so they thought, until they could think no more. Then, Skampers went and found the small pine tree that he had stolen from Sarah a year ago, and the answer was found: bring back all the stuff they had stolen!

But alas! Most of the stuff would be returned in a few days, so they would have to spread it out and find more things. They figured that if they showed their thanks for at least a month, then Sarah would stay nice and not tell their king what had happened. Yes, clearly, a little bribe never hurts. And so the search began to find more appropriate things to give to Sarah.

Meanwhile, Sarah was experiencing post-Thanksgiving blues.

Black Friday had been an unsuccessful day, getting two hours of sleep, a dented car, and a toaster out of the whole day spent trying to find gifts for her family and friends. There was too much leftover Thanksgiving food, and she was sick of mashed potatoes and stuffing.

She was getting ready to go back to homework and studying to finish off those last couple weeks of classes of her fall semester of college, and she wanted no part of it. She wanted to have only one semester left of college, yes, but it was going to be rough getting there. It was now the last day of November, and she was not excited for what the next day brought. Because tomorrow meant that it was December, and the beginning of Advent, a time of joyful preparation before Christmas. Joyful, her foot. More like excruciating chaos by the time all was done.

Her list of things to do before Christmas was daunting (at least by her standards). She needed to finish three papers and take three final exams (she always wondered why everything bad came in threes).

She had to practice for ballet (not a stress-free elective as hoped), as her final would have her performing the Nutcracker with Toby (forced into it by his mother), and she was not at all ready for that. She would be Clara, and the guy playing the Nutcracker Prince was a stuck-up narcissist that she really wished would float away, based on the size of his ego. But she only had to deal with him for another month, and then she was free from him and his nasally voice demanding attention.

She had to find gifts for all her family, and she did not know how she was going to find time to do it between the classes and ballet. But find time she would!

And so, on November 30, Sarah saw a goblin. She was already in despair about what else could go wrong, so finally having visual confirmation of her hunch was actually kind of nice. If only she could get her socks back. But she smiled at the goblin and happily let him have the food that she did not want to eat any more.

Little did she realize that in doing this one good deed, she would be repaid tenfold for her troubles.

She woke up on December 1, opened the first slot on the Advent calendar, only to see something green catch her eye. While eating the chocolate in the calendar, she sought out the green item, which turned out to be her missing pet pine tree. She had assumed that it had been thrown out because it had died or had Merlin do his business in it, but apparently not.

It seemed the goblins had taken it, and now wished to give it back. That was fine with her, as now she could decorate it. The only thing was that there was a peach inside of it, for reasons she could not fathom. She had heard of partridges in pear trees, but peaches in pine trees? Definitely goblins afoot.

It was either that, or Jareth had planted it, but she did _not _want to think about him. He was an active part of her fantasies, and that was it, thank you very much. She would never see him again, and she was resigned to that.

Sarah went about her business until the next day, when she went to her Advent calendar to discover that the flap was already slightly folded, and the chocolate gone! Some injustice, no doubt goblin in nature, had happened there, until she saw that two pairs of socks had appeared, each with chicken feathers stuck in them in a decorative fashion. Sarah shook her head as she placed the feathers on her tree and took the socks to the washing machine to be thoroughly cleaned and bleached of all goblin residue.

The rest of the week continued in this fashion, with her chocolate being taken, and more items being returned. She ended up getting back eleven more pairs of socks (each with more feathers), bouncy balls (Toby would be glad), some rubber bands, and many pencils. Sarah had never seen more chicken feathers in her life, and her tree looked as though a chicken had been skinned over it.

And that was perhaps the only good news about that week.

Everything else had not worked out so well, especially money-wise. The car had cost more to fix than she had expected, so she had less to spend on gifts. That, and her work was giving her less hours, so less cash flow in general. She had found something nice for her father, but it had cost more than she expected. Part of her had wanted to stamp her foot about the state of unfairness of the world, but thoughts of Jareth smirking and asking her about her basis for comparison shut her up quickly, as she was distracted by some lovely thoughts of him from when he had said that to her.

Ballet practice had been frustrating, as Toby kept complaining about the male lead, who in turn made snide remarks about Toby. She had to tell off the dude once, and she had a feeling she would be doing it more by the end of the month since he did not think Toby deserved to be listened to.

Her "Nutcracker Prince" (more like a nutcracker with his exaggerated looks) spoke of accidentally dropping her once, but she gave him her best death glare to discourage that line of thought. She wanted to drop him in the Bog of Eternal Stench, and she would bet good money that Jareth would gladly help her.

At least she got one paper done. She was sleep-deprived, but it was worth it. She could deal with it if it meant one less thing to worry about later on.

The second week of Advent was not very joyful, either. The goblins were still taking her chocolate, but they were giving her more interesting things. Now, she not only had enough chicken feathers to fill a pillow, but she had more gel pens, paper clips, sticky notes, and general office supplies to open a black market on the items. A pity it all did not appear when she first went to college.

Why the goblins gave her such things she had no idea, but she could use them, so she was glad. Some part of her wondered if Jareth told them what to give her, since everything was so practical. But she ignored those thoughts of Jareth as much as possible. He had no reason to think of her at all.

Sarah managed to finish off the other two papers during that second week, so she was glad. She had to finish them, as her family wanted to decorate, and she _had _to help with that. Her joy was short-lived, however, as the sleep-deprivation she had from those nights managed to help her catch a cold, leaving her stuck in bed and missing class and ballet practice, as well as get no shopping done.

Sarah thought that she had a fever or was at least hallucinating because she could have sworn that she heard Jareth's voice whisper "Feel better, Precious" at least once, right before kissing her on the cheek, but that was not possible. She was determined to get better after that.

By the time Sarah was feeling better, the third week was upon her, and she was beginning to panic. Finals were right around the corner, and she still had a lot to catch up on.

Thankfully, the goblins decided that for the third week, they would give her cups. But these were no ordinary cups. Each day, she received three hand-painted ceramic cups with an awful-smelling hot liquid inside that she threw out each day until the last, when the window and door would not open, so she was forced to drink three cups of it. She hated it, but magically all the windows and doors opened, so she would survive.

Sarah decided that the cups would be loved and taken care of properly by her step-mother, so she decided to give all but the very last one as a gift set. The last one had a white owl on it, and since it reminded Sarah of Jareth, she kept it for herself.

Hoggle had told her that Jareth sometimes turned into an owl, and she was sure that she had seen an owl follow her before. Sarah wrapped all the cups up nicely with little bows on each, just the way her step-mother had taught her. With that gift done, all she had to do was find one for Toby.

Sarah spent much of the third week catching up on what she missed in practice and classes, which was not as much as she feared. Rudolph the nasal-nosed wonder had spent much of the week she was gone complaining about how he deserved time off like Sarah, so she caught up within a couple of days. That allowed her to practice with Toby more, which made Toby happy since Sarah was so busy. With classes, much of it was review, so she went to more office hours, in addition to studying in the library.

When the fourth week was upon Sarah, she was praying that it was Christmas already. The big performance was right around the corner, along with finals, and Toby still had no gift. She was feeling a certain amount of energy she did not feel before, so she took advantage of it to tackle that last week.

Sarah went shopping on the weekend and found the perfect toy for Toby, only to have someone swoop in and take it. When the shopper grabbed it, she babbled on about how her son would love it and had been asking for it all year, until she saw Sarah poised to grab, and realized that Sarah had wanted it, too. She tried to give it to Sarah, but Sarah insisted that the woman keep it, as her brother did not want it as bad as her son, to which the lady was glad and skipped off.

Sarah searched around and found something else not as cool, but she knew Toby would love it no matter what because it came from her. When she went to pay for it, she was not allowed. Someone had already done it for her, a woman. Sarah could guess who, and she was grateful, as it was that much more she could put aside for something else. She decided to treat Toby to ice cream on dress rehearsal day, so that he would not be so nervous.

Sarah survived finals (take-home ones had their uses), and she was pretty sure that she passed all of them. That put her in a good mood after studying so much, and that left just The Nutcracker to perform on Christmas Eve. She exchanged gifts with Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus earlier in the week, so she was curious about what the goblins would do.

The goblins' gifts had become even more extravagant, with fine cutlery, table cloths, and plates appearing near the Advent calendar (besides the missing chocolate). What surprised Sarah was that there was no gift left on Christmas Eve, even though the chocolate had been taken. This mystery continued to baffle her until she arrived at the ballet studio, where she had to go into performer-mode.

On went the cute dress for the slightly-more-grown-up Clara, and plenty of make-up so that she did not become washed out under all the lights on stage. Toby was ready, but ol' Rudy was strangely absent. She took it as a good sign, as she stayed in a good mood as long as he was not around.

Sarah danced upon the stage with Toby for the beginning, and she was encouraged. Then, she got ready to dance with Rudolph. He was not where he was supposed to start, but she could not stop him.

The grand battle between the mice and gingerbread commenced, and eventually, the Nutcracker came out. Sarah danced and did her part until it came to throwing her shoe at the Mouse King. Sarah's white ballet shoes were leathery-soft and light normally, but when she held one in her hand to throw at the Mouse King, it seemed harder and heavier than normal.

Sarah assumed it was her imagination and just threw it as practiced, and of course it hit her target on the head. The problem was that the Mouse King dropped far too quickly to the floor (though somehow the Nutcracker still got his move in), and she could actually hear the shoe hit the stage, sounding like bricks were hitting the stage. But, all these things were forgotten because it was time for the Nutcracker Prince to reveal himself.

And such a reveal it was!

Sarah almost had to stop and do a double-take because her normal dance partner was no longer there. Instead, Jareth was there, in all his glory.

Jareth looked good in just about anything as it was, but this outfit seemed tailored just for him, even if it had been meant for the Nutcracker Prince. Sarah was confused why no one else seemed to realize that Jareth was on stage, even though he had much lighter (not to mention messier) hair than Rudolph. But, Jareth seemed to know all of the moves, and he was the most graceful ballet dancer she had ever seen.

Jareth bowed down to Sarah in acknowledgement of his thanks to her, and Sarah enjoyed watching Jareth sparkle. Rudolph had spared no expense in making sure that he had the finest costume of them all, and Sarah loved the fact that it was Jareth who now wore it. It was perfect for Jareth, the (fake) diamond-studded white satin top with the three swirls of differently-cut diamonds flashing bright across the top of his chest. It did not hurt that the body-hugging, white tights (naturally with fake diamonds on the cuffs and waist of the tights) did wonders by bringing out his toned legs. Jareth made Sarah weak at the knees, but she would never tell him that.

With the bow complete, Jareth glided over to Sarah, and the rest of the ballet was a grand daze for her. She could recall doing all of her necessary routines, but she felt as though she were floating.

The only part of the chocolate dancing she could remember was Jareth moving his hands around her as she pirouetted in his arms, him wearing a smug grin that she wished she could remove. The coffee dance was not much better, each lunge back and forth between them producing tension, their white-clad feet never more than a few languid steps from one another, dancing around the other. Their faces were mirrors of the other, each gazing intently and earnestly as they reached for the other, but never quite making it.

The tea dance had been fun to leap about and have Jareth answer with his leaps, him trying to catch her as she joined the other dancers. The candy canes had made her dizzy from Jareth picking her up and throwing her into the air, only for her to land in his open arms and then dip her down multiple times.

It was on the final dip that he held her there, his arms about her waist, allowing her to extend one leg out as she leaned to allow him to turn her around in his arms until she faced him, now with both arms extended out. In that moment, trust had never come quicker. They were lost in the moment as they stood there, allowing the audience to clap.

The Waltz of the Flowers had always been one of her favorite parts, and dancing it with Jareth only solidified it. While she could not waltz in the traditional way with him, they still managed (thanks to the fine choreography of someone that she would be sure to give a present to later) to keep one set of hands always attached, folding in and out of the other dancers, Jareth once picking her up and twirling her so that she could perform a little trick with her feet.

The only damper of the waltz had been when she heard what sounded like a frog croaking, something quite low and almost gasping, and she half-expected Toby to suddenly come on stage in a black, curly wig wearing all pink and start to shimmy and shake his butt at the stage. He did not enjoy the girly dancing, and nothing had gone so far in the production, which meant that they were due for something. But, nothing untoward appeared, frogs or unexpected dancers. And Sarah could continue to smile at Jareth.

When it was finally time for their grand_ pas de deux_, Sarah felt as though she were flying. Each slow, measured step from their entrance brought them closer to one another, their arms taking turns to reach out to one another. Then, with fingertips barely touching, Sarah jumped, as though burned by his touch.

But Jareth beckoned for her, and Sarah took a running leap into the air, and Jareth lifted her high into the air, with one of Sarah's hands extended into the air, moving back and forth at the wrist, while the other lay against Jareth's strong grip. Sarah's feet began the motions, and she appeared to be swimming in the air.

When Jareth brought Sarah down, each took their turn to dance their solo, Sarah's dance a slight variation of Jareth's as he danced around her. As they finished, Sarah took another leap, where Jareth picked her up and waited for Sarah's legs to wrap around him before he dipped her once more, Sarah dangerous close to the ground. And then, ever so slowly, Sarah's legs began their journey down Jareth's body, until they landed on the ground, and still Sarah remained at a ten degree angle off the ground, Jareth's body now melded to hers. Jareth drew Sarah up until both were upright, eyes lost in one another again.

It took loud applause to get Sarah away from Jareth, but away she got. Sarah did not remember anything else about the performance after that, and all she wanted to do was find out how and why Jareth was there, after so much time.

After three encores and many family hugs, Sarah was almost to Jareth when a shocked, nasally voice screeched, "You little upstart! How dare you steal my show!"

Sarah turned to see Rudolph heading toward her, anger smoking off of him as though he were made of dry ice. He had more words to say, and while she was confused about what had happened to him, she did not like being called names. Neither did Jareth.

"I will see to it that you fail this class, you brown-nosing-"

"Excuse me, but do you have a problem with Sarah?"

"Yes! I have a problem with her and-"

But Jareth was not going to let him finish that thought, lest everyone else get some clue about the fact that he had glamored himself to look different, to everyone but Sarah. And he certainly was not going to let Sarah be slandered by him.

"You have _no _reason to be angry with her. She did as she practiced, did she not? She had the same number of solos as you, and you had a better outfit than her. You have no right to speak right now."

Jareth grinned as he spoke, and Sarah got a tingle in her spine, as though Jareth were up to no good. It was not until the director came over to congratulate him that he opened his mouth to speak, and no words came out.

"Aww, isn't that precious? He's so in awe of how good of a job we all did that he's speechless!"

The director led him, and finally, someone had found a way to shut him up. Sarah would have to thank Jareth for that too. Speak of the devil….

"Congratulations, Sarah. You had a good performance tonight."

Sarah's eyes widened before turning and smiling at Jareth. "You did pretty well yourself, for never going to a practice."

"It's good to be the King."

Sarah wanted to roll her eyes at that, but decided to figure out why he was even there to begin with.

"Is that why you came tonight? To show off your prowess in ballet?"

"No, Sarah. I came here for you."

Sarah did the wise thing and kept her mouth shut, lest she let it gape open like a fish. She nodded to him so that he would continue.

"I took the liberty of making him switch places with the Mouse King, and then it just so happened that your shoe had lead in it, causing him to be knocked out until the Waltz. I was hoping he'd stay knocked out for the whole performance, but he has a rather thick skull."

Sarah laughed at the description of her former dancing partner, as well as realized that the odd noise she had heard earlier was from him. That would explain some things. Before she could ask any further questions about the performance, Jareth continued.

"I also came here to set things straight between you and my goblins. I'm afraid they've taken some _liberties_ of late that I was not expecting."

Sarah giggled at the thought of Jareth opening the castle cabinets and discovering that all his fine cups and cutlery gone. Then she thought about it seriously, remembering where the cups were, and paled.

"I see you know to what I am referring? Have you seen any of my goblins before?"

"Yes, I've seen one goblin. It was right before December, and he took some food from my plate while I was close by."

Jareth's hands could be seen at his side, conjuring a crystal as he spoke, his tone surprised.

"Why didn't you tell me that you had seen one?"

"Because I know they've been coming to see me for years. They kept stealing my socks! Do you know how many pairs of socks they've stolen from me over the years?"

Sarah's righteous anger amused Jareth.

"I imagine quite a few."

"But, at least now they've given a few back."

Jareth looked taken aback. "They did?"

"Yes, and they've given back a few things over the past month. I just didn't expect…. everything else."

Jareth cracked his knuckles as he leaned in closer to Sarah.

"Such as the castle's private tea cup collection?"

"Yes," said Sarah. She felt a little bad about that.

"And the cutlery that was handmade by elves for the royal family?"

"That too," admitted Sarah. Now she was beginning to worry.

"And the plates that were wedding gifts for my parents?"

"Yep, that, too," squeaked Sarah. Now she felt like a terrible person.

"It seems that they have a soft spot for you. You can't help that, Sarah."

Sarah let out the breath she was holding as Jareth flexed his fingers and then entwined them in hers.

"I first discovered that they were up to something when they asked me if I preferred neon green or sparkly purple gel pens best. Once I realized that they intended to give you gifts to help you since you helped them, I let them do as they pleased."

"What?!" Sarah ground out. Then why did he feel such a need to make her feel bad? Jerk!

"Oh, Sarah, it's a nice change to see you look so repentant, though I admit that I still prefer you when you're angry with me."

"You're not helping your case right now, _Jareth_."

"All in good time, love."

"I have family I need to get back to."

Jareth threw the crystal in his hand, and everything went backward around them.

"You were saying, Sarah?"

Sarah gave Jareth her best withering look, but it was hard to maintain when he smiled at her like that. That pointy half-smile of his was one of her weak spots, bogdangit.

"Is there anything else you'd like to explain, Jareth, since we have so much time?"

"A question, and then an explanation. Sarah, do you realize what was inside those tea cups?"

"Not a clue. It smelled awful, rather like the Bog."

"It's Guard Glop."

Sarah's face contorted from a grimace to a smile at such a name, as it seemed a bit odd.

"What's in it exactly?"

"I don't know myself. I've learned not to ask sometimes when it comes to what my subjects eat and drink. However, I do know that Sir Didymus swears by the stuff, as do the rest of the Royal Guard, that it keeps you awake when you need to, and is known to heal you pretty well. The goblins gave that to you on purpose to make sure that you stayed better after you were sick and I visited you."

"So you _did_ visit me! I knew it!"

Sarah triumphed for a moment until she considered what else Jareth had done while there. Jareth enjoyed the answering blush a good deal.

"Yes, I did visit. I was worried that you would stay sick and miss all the stuff that you had been working on for this past month. We couldn't have that, now could we?"

"No. I wasn't about to let that happen."

"That's my Sarah. So, yes, I visited and then forced you to drink three cups of the Guard Glop. You'll feel that pep for days more I suspect, as you're mortal."

Sarah narrowed her eyes at Jareth, who only laughed.

"You'll thank me later, Sarah. Now, as for the cups, I'm fine with you gifting them to your step-mother. You're very unselfish in your giving, which is admirable. Despite all the problems you've had this month, you've still managed to put your family first and have a smile on your face. It's a rare type of perseverance."

Such praise from Jareth made Sarah blush more, and she chose her words carefully.

"Thank you, Jareth. I didn't realize you paid so much attention."

"Why else do you think the goblins visit? For your fine socks alone?"

Jareth went from gaining so many points in Sarah's eyes for the praise, to going into the negative zone for admitting to watching her. Wait, why was he admitting it?

"Jareth, why are you _really _here? This doesn't seem right somehow. You've been gone for so long, only to be spying on me. Why tell me now?"

"I thought you deserved to know the truth about everything."

"Is that it?"

"There may be ulterior motives, yes. I thought I had expressed them fairly well while we were dancing together."

Several images of being held by Jareth flashed through Sarah's mind, and she wondered if they were true.

As though reading her mind, Jareth said, "I've never lied to you, Sarah. I can't lie."

Sarah's mind was on the fritz, sheer overload of fantasies flying free at the thought that Jareth liked her. Heck, he probably still wanted to marry her. Nope, not considering that right now.

"But, you can, you must, you-"

"Sarah, who's this?"

Sarah coughed awkwardly before the words spilled out, her smile large but genuine.

"Oh, Jareth? He's just my boyfriend. He's a bit of a surprise for you all."

"Well, we saw the way he handled that low life earlier, so he must have a good head on his shoulders. Welcome, Jareth."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Williams."

"Please, it's Robert."

"Shall we go home? I think it's time to do some caroling," said Sarah.

"Yay, cookies! C'mon! Let's go home!"

Toby led the way, glad to be out of the stupid tights, and Jareth held Sarah back for a moment.

"Sarah, you do realize what you're doing, right? You're inviting me into your home and called me your boyfriend. It's Christmas Eve, when you're supposed to spend it with those you care about."

"I care about you, Jareth. I want you to come."

As much as Jareth wanted to take advantage of the situation and just go along with it, it was hard for him to do, given his feelings for Sarah. His precarious position with Sarah made him pause; he did _not _want to have hope and then go back to hiding around Sarah if something happened.

"Are you sure, Sarah?"

Jareth's eyes showed all the hope he had, his big chance to finally be a part of her life. If Jareth was this determined, it was bound to happen at some point. Better now than later and see where things led. Sarah did like him, and it was Christmas. She nodded and smiled before kissing him on the forehead.

"Tis' the season."

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**Author's Notes: I'm such a sucker for fluff. Especially if it involves dancing or the holidays. Combine them together, and I'm all happy inside. I have no idea if all the things I mentioned Sarah and Jareth doing together made sense or are physically possible, but it looked like it in my mind. I have these grand visions that never quite are expressed the way I'd like it, but I think this will do. The idea of the way the goblins gave is reminiscent of **_**The Cat Returns, **_**and I also made two other movie references, one more obvious than the other. I hope you found them both and smiled. Anyways, here's my Christmas fluff for the season (you'll see more in January). I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and I hope you enjoy the next couple weeks, hopefully with those you care about. Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! **


	3. Chapter 3: A Winterfest Story

A Winterfest Story

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I don't own Labyrinth. All rights go to their respective owners. I keep wishing to Jareth, and he won't grant my wish. Winterfest is happening at labyfic, and so a winter-themed one-shot was called for. This was inspired while watching **_**A Christmas Story**_**, so if you're fond of the movie, then you'll get a few laughs out of the many references I make here. There's plenty of silliness from the goblins, and wonderful fluff for our favorite couple. I make no apologies. I hope you enjoy it!**

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"Now, Sir Didymus, I'm going to give you an assignment."

Said knight puffed out his chest with pride at the thought of being asked to do something for His King.

"I want you to give…. An oath."

If it was possible, Sir Didymus puffed out his little chest even more, so ready was he to assist His Noble Highness, to the very ends of the earth!

"What I want you to swear is this," said Jareth, pausing and motioning for Sir Didymus to raise his paw to his heart, "That, throughout the next five days of my reign, you will not tell any one or thing where I am with Sarah. That the only reason you will tell anyone is if it's in an extreme emergency. Now swear it."

"I swear with my life's blood to do these things for My Great and Generous King, to tell no one or thing of the secret location, unless in the most dire of situations," said Sir Didymus as he bowed, "Sir Didymus, at your service. I will do my duty!"

"I hope so. After the last time that you made an oath, you still managed to let Sarah through rather quickly."

"But she figured it out, and no one else is as clever as mi'lady!"

"Of course not. That is why I intend to make her my Queen of the Goblins."

"At long last, My King?" replied Sir Didymus with tears in his eyes.

"Yes. The time for courtship is at an end. She's had time to discover if she likes it here, coming as she pleases, and she still puts up with all of you. Now the only thing that remains to do is ask."

"Do you possess your mother's wedding ring? T'would be perfect for mi'lady."

"I have. I've tried once to ask, at that Thanksgiving ceremony that Sarah insisted upon, and you saw how _that _turned out."

Sir Didymus grimaced as he remembered the scene of goblin desolation. Jareth just shook his head.

"Sometimes, at the height of our reveries, when our joy is at its zenith…" said Sir Didymus, starting to warm up.

"The most unthinkable disasters descend upon us," added Jareth with a sigh of regret.

"And the fireys raided and pillaged our fair kitchen, making off with the fine turkey that Sarah had made, especially for us. No turkey sandwiches or turkey salad for lunch."

"No turkey gravy, hash, turkey a la king, or turkey soup for dinner. Gone. All because _someone_ left the kitchen's back door slightly open," said Jareth, narrowing his eyes at Sir Didymus.

"I seek the culprits as we speak. We _shall _have justice for that turkey!"

Sir Didymus smacked his fist with his other hand as he thought of that glorious day, when some goblin would be found out, and at long last, the turkey would have its day. Alas, poor bird.

"But, as I was saying earlier, the time has come to bring Sarah home. And contrary to what your friend Huggle-"

"Sir Hoggle, Your Graciousness."

"Hoggard, whatever. Contrary to what he thinks, I'm not scared to ask her. I simply need alone time, away from….. wandering goblins."

"But they were only trying to help, Sire."

"By carving our initials into stones all over the throne room and in her bedchambers? Certainly not."

At that, Jareth dismissed Sir Didymus and made the final preparations for his trip. Everything had been arranged, and he was ready for a relaxing few days alone with Sarah. Transforming into an owl, Jareth went to Sarah's home to celebrate Christmas with her family before he swept her away to a cabin in the north, far away from everything.

Once he arrived, Sarah was there to greet him at the door. A quick kiss was exchanged, and Sarah looked radiant. There was not time for much talking since the rest of the family wanted to see Jareth again.

"Oh boy, Jareth's here! Did you bring me anything?"

Sarah and her stepmother tried to hush six year old Toby, but Jareth just smiled and made Toby's gift appear in his hand. Toby snatched it away, running off to put it under the Christmas, his cries of "Oh boy, that's mine" echoing through the house.

Once the rest of the presents were settled around the tree, the family of four sat down to their annual Christmas brunch, the bacon taking over any smell left available from the real Christmas tree and wreathes in the house.

After brunch came the gift giving, and all loved their gifts. When Sarah got to her gift from Jareth, she opened the square lid to find….glitter, and lots of it. Truly, Jareth worked in glitter the way other artists worked in oils or clay, his true medium. Sarah would never get used to all the glitter.

After throwing some of the glitter at Toby (who started to spit it out when it got in his mouth), she found a crystal inside. When she looked closer, the crystal turned into a music box, an intricately carved forest at the base, with a log cabin inside the crystal.

"Jareth, what is this?"

"It's my gift to you, Sarah. I know you have another week left before you have to go back to work, so I wanted to surprise you. There's a log cabin I found in Vermont, rustic just the way you like it. I thought we could have a few days up there to enjoy the sports and quiet. I know you wanted to spend some time with Toby and the rest of the family, but that's why it's only five days. What do you say?"

Sarah's response was a leaping hug of yes. Jareth smiled, and the adults looked knowingly at one another. It seemed Jareth did intend to pop the question, after all.

"Sarah, dear, you better get packed."

"Oh, please, don't stop these celebrations on our account. I have all the arrangements made. All we have to do is walk out that door, and all will be taken care of for us. We have all night to stay and watch movies, if that's what you want to do."

"Can they please, Mom? Please? I want Jareth to teach me some cool card tricks."

"For a few more hours. But they deserve-"

"Yes! Thanks, Mom!"

The next few hours passed quickly, with games and toys brought out, Sarah and Jareth helping Toby to get rid of all his energy so that he was in bed early. The adults sat and drank eggnog on the sofa, smiling contentedly. Once Sarah was packed, goodbyes were said, and off the couple went.

Once Sarah and Jareth had walked into some trees, Sarah linked her arm and grabbed Jareth's gloved hand in a practiced and comfortable routine. As per their usual, Jareth leaned in and kissed Sarah on the forehead. As Sarah closed her eyes to revel in the soft touch of his lips, she felt the winds pick up and die down as quickly as they came (whereas when they had first done it, Sarah had been nauseous. Jareth was quick to suggest a way to distract her). And when she opened her eyes, they stood in front of a large log cabin, just like the one in the crystal.

"It's wonderful," said Sarah, "Did you make this yourself?"

"Of course. Do you doubt that everything I do, I do for you?"

Sarah smiled up at Jareth before leaning into his shoulder.

"Not at all. But I thought you'd just steal one you like and make adjustments accordingly."

"I made it because I see a future for us, Sarah. We could use it again when you want a weekend away."

"I'd like that. Shall we go inside?"

"Wait. There's one last thing I need to do."

With Sarah turned toward him, Jareth plucked the amulet necklace around his throat, its points sharp to the touch, and placed it around Sarah's neck.

"Now you truly are the babe with the power," Jareth said with a smirk, as Sarah shook her head playfully.

"But, the point of me giving this to you is simple, no magic. For the next five days, it will be us, and only us. No Toby, meddling parents, or annoying goblins to ruin moments. Only one knows where we are, and he has been sworn to secrecy."

"Do you trust him?"

"Yes," said Jareth, as he opened the door, took one step inside, and promptly slipped on the wood floor that was covered with ice patches.

Meanwhile, in the jungles of the goblin-dom, the mind switches gears rapidly. The goblins were not as far away as Jareth hoped, as there was a swarm of goblins hell-bent on having a new queen. Their king was not acting fast enough (at least by goblin standards). It was time for the goblins to help.

The goblins feared their King. They also loved Sarah. The fact that the two loved one another was more than enough to make them want Jareth and Sarah together, so they decided to help.

However, several goblins had ideas on how to help. Some wanted to force the two together in a confined space, while others wanted the couple to bond over activities together, while others wanted them to come together through some great tragedy, like the ones they saw on television.

With so many options for the rest of the goblin horde to choose from, they decided to help in the most democratic way possible: by having a game. Each idea on how to make Jareth propose was a different team, and once sides were chosen, the game's parameters were decided, with rules and prizes. There were few rules besides not getting caught in the act, and the grand prize (besides having a queen) was the prized white chicken with yellow eggs.

As was also normal for games, the games needed a name. The goblins had just finished ChickenFest (who had the most aerodynamic chicken), the second most popular one only to MugFest (who had the best ale to get others drunk). Since the goblins wanted their king to propose during the winter season, it was aptly named Winterfest.

There was just one little, obvious, tiny, little hiccup, not really worth mentioning at all. The goblins did not know where Jareth had taken Sarah. How could days of planning be thrown away like that?

Luckily for the goblins, they had Hoggle on their side. Hoggle enjoyed needling his King by saying that he was afraid to propose to Sarah, as he knew from the way Sarah talked and acted that she wanted Jareth to propose. He had been expecting it for some time, and while he would never fully trust that rat, he knew that Sarah did, even loved him. And for that, they needed to come together. Thankfully, Sir Didymus talked enough so that Hoggle knew that the brave knight knew the location, so it was only a small matter of convincing him.

"But ye have ta tells me! How else do ye's expect those two to come together and get hitched? That rat's taking his sweet time. He needs help."

"I have sworn with my life's blood to keep this secret!"

Hoggle stood there and puzzled for several moments, trying to remember how Sarah got around the oath before. It was not too long before a twinkle came in his eye.

"What, exactly, dids ye swear?"

Once Sir Didymus told Hoggle, it was easy for Hoggle to explain why it was an emergency. Obviously, the goblins were getting out of control, and the only way they would calm down was if they had a queen. Jareth proposing would solve all their problems.

And just like that, Winterfest began. Once the cabin was found, it was a small matter of setting up their ideas and watching the proposal come flowing out of their king's lips. And have a few laughs in the process.

Meanwhile, Sarah was torn between laughter and concern at the way Jareth's butt had hit the ice, causing him to cry out and lay there like a slug. It was beginning to look like he had spoken too soon.

"Jareth, would you like a hand?"

Sarah had managed to restrain all laughter, as she knew that his ego did not care for such pranks being pulled on him. She smiled, but she softened it as she offered a hand to Jareth. Jareth took it, only to pull Sarah down on top of him with a loud "Oof!"

"Much better. Now wipe that smirk off your face, Sarah. Or I'll find another way that I _know _we'll both enjoy."

Sarah laughed before sliding off of Jareth, using him to push off onto the non-icy portions of the floor. She was glad she brought a flashlight, as the nights were going to be tricky to navigate. Picking up her bags, she looked around at the cabin while Jareth got up gracefully (as if he could do it any other way) and headed toward her.

The cabin looked rustic, with its large fireplace, comfy loveseat, and two recliners around it. But, she noticed that there was still modern lighting there (no doubt because she had voiced concerns over so many open flames in a wooden dwelling), and the heat that enveloped her definitely did not come from the fireplace alone, so somehow Jareth had managed to get a good heater in there. Ah, the benefits of magical boyfriends.

Once the couple had managed to avoid slipping again (though there were two close calls involving much grabbing of arms and waists for support, followed by kisses of thanks) while putting away their stuff, they realized that the two beds set up for them in the same room had been pushed together, while the divider separating them had disappeared entirely. Sarah glared at Jareth, who put his hands in the air to suggest innocence, even if he had secretly wanted the divider gone, but only at night to watch her dream.

Jareth was old-fashioned about waiting and having the two beds, and Sarah had wanted it, too. But, they knew their boundaries, so for five days they could handle this. They just pulled the beds away and then went back out to the main room for the festivities that Jareth had planned.

The rest of the evening was to be spent decorating their own tree, a live one that Jareth had hand-selected from his own collection of the finest trees. Everything was going fine until they came to the Christmas decorations.

The goblins had scoured the cabin, looking for anything that could be used as a way to convince them to pledge their love for one another. Some goblins thought that ice and other "accidents" were called for, while others thought a shared room and copious amounts of mistletoe (which was to appear after the tree was decorated) would do the trick.

And then there was the group that had put the couple's initials all over the castle. They thought more reminders of how great each was (together and apart) would surely convince one or the other to profess undying love, so after opening the "fra-gee-lay" boxes of crystal balls with hooks and breaking them, they found much better, less breakable ornaments. All in the shape of Jareth doing great deeds for the goblins. Some goblins had larger collections of the major awards than others.

"Jareth, why is there a statue of you wearing a gray, sparkling jumpsuit here?"

The Goblin King realized that his situation had been seriously compromised, and decided to make the most of it. As it was, one day the goblins would make such things of Sarah, too, if he had his way. Of course, that was assuming that they made it out of the Bog of Eternal Stench long enough to make such things. He was having serious doubts on that front.

"I believe the goblins didn't approve of my other ornament choices, and have replaced them accordingly. Don't you think that color does wonders for showing off all my good features while I dance?"

If there was one thing the goblins did well, then it was craft small toys of their King. They knew he liked them, and it was an easy way to gain his favor. If Jareth liked them a lot, he would create more and give them as gifts to the makers. There were those who had taken the time to carve everything, or else hand-paint the dolls, and he wanted the goblins to be rewarded for such endeavors.

It took a long time with their attention spans, but the goblins always did well, even if they exaggerated certain….aspects of their king. Sarah saw that with the jumpsuit, and with the next collectible as well, Jareth's hands on his hips as he stood, legs apart, frowning at the viewer, no doubt created to instill fear. Sarah was amazed at just how many different poses there were of Jareth, in every color imaginable, doing things like kicking goblins or lounging.

By the time they finished decorating the tree, Sarah had heard many stories of Jareth's conquests, as each pose had an associated story, some more funny than others. But in all of them, Sarah listened attentively and collected more information about the man she loved. It would be good to know for future gifts. And Sarah considered that she had given him quite a few gifts, considering the number of times they kissed under mistletoe before making it to the bedroom.

With clothes changed and goodnight kisses exchanged, both fell into a deep sleep. Jareth enjoyed the fact that his silver jumpsuit showcased exclusively in Sarah's dreams that night.

Sarah had not allowed Jareth to look at her dreams for a time when they were first dating, as she was still learning to trust him. But, Jareth had proved himself capable, and so she allowed him what he had wanted for some time. He did his best not to bring them up, lest he get several whaps on the arm, followed by a well-timed comment of dreaming about goblins. She had done that once, and he had been scarred by the images of goblins and what they did to him and his kingdom. There was not enough brain bleach in the world. Never again.

The morning dawned bright and cold, perfect for winter sports. Sarah woke first, and she went about making food for breakfast. When Jareth awoke, Sarah was standing over him with eggs, sausage, and hash browns, and so they had a cozy breakfast in bed. The cabin was chilly, and Jareth did not need more excuses to drag Sarah closer to him.

After eating and preparing, the couple decided to try out the skiing. Sarah had known how to ski for some time, and so had Jareth, so there was a friendly competition between them about who was better. The competition continued until Jareth saw a mound of snow appear in front of him, and then another, each time swerving. It went on a few times, with Sarah laughing at him because he was getting careless. She stopped when it happened to her, too. By then, however, it was too late to stop the inevitable. The trees were sprinkled throughout the skiing area, so between those and the poorly placed mounds, Sarah and Jareth realized that that they were headed for a head-on collision.

With the snap of a few skis and a quick whiff of each other (Jareth smelled like a campfire today), the couple lay sprawled out on the ground. After a few moments of ensuring that neither one was badly injured, the quiet came, then Sarah's laughter. She just could not help it. If she did not have Jareth's amulet on her person, she would swear that Jareth had planned it on purpose. Jareth looked confused as he tried to understand why Sarah was laughing, but he stopped when Sarah smiled at his confusion and touched his cheek.

"I can't imagine a better way of running into you. Again and again."

Sarah laughed more, and Jareth got up and helped Sarah up as well. Once that was accomplished, they began the trek back to change and eat. With a shower and some food in them, it was decided that they should read, until Jareth discovered that all of the correspondence he had brought to read was gone. Now those goblins were going to get it. But, Sarah was more than willing to lend him a book, so he lounged on the loveseat while she read in a recliner by the fire.

It was not until later when they left the safety of the fire to have more food that they made another dreadful discovery: that the heaters were not working. While the kitchen magically had all its electricity to make food, none of the other rooms had it, and both took to putting on more layers as they cooked together. Jareth attempted to go out and fix it, until he realized that he had no amulet. Then he resigned himself to cuddling with Sarah and enjoying what little magic he had naturally, mainly that of seeing others' dreams.

Once it was decided that Sarah and Jareth would each sleep on a recliner to keep warmest, there was no peace. Odd scratching noises came from outside, as well as the sound of taps being played gently, just when they were starting to fall asleep. It did not help that the furniture was moved every time they turned around, the recliners now next to one another, and so after a long, restless night, both Sarah and Jareth were grateful for a warm shower.

At least Jareth was until he saw that the special oils he brought for his hair were missing (he was not perfect, of course), replaced with some strawberry confection of Sarah's. He used the sad imitation of shampoo, and after threats of a thorough cleaning and soap (one poor goblin had gone blind after eating a bar of soap in an attempt to avoid being cleaned) upon his return home, Jareth was glad to see that his hair would only have to suffer such an indignity once.

With achy bodies from a strange night's sleep, the task of snowboarding was a bit more challenging for Sarah and Jareth. The slopes that had been so much fun the day before now were scenes of laughter as they made fun of each other's wobbly legs. The occasional snow ball was thrown by Jareth in retaliation, but Sarah was good at giving it back to him, so he learned not to do so after the second time of being pelted mid-run.

When the king and his girlfriend returned, they found that the floor had been invaded by chickens (or at least their feathers), and the ice was gone. When Sarah went for a book to read, she found that there were only three books of hers left, and since Jareth did not want to read any of them, she took it upon herself to drag (more like suggest) him into her lap and read to him aloud. Sarah read while Jareth warmed her hands and made inappropriate faces at her whenever she looked at him.

By the time Sarah finished half of the book, both were exhausted. Since their bodies were finally adjusting to the cooler temperatures, they decided to sleep in their beds so that they could get some real rest. After moving their beds apart, the couple kissed in triumph, only to turn around and see that beds were back together. Both were too tired to care, so they slept close by, eventually staying near the edge so as to share body heat better. Both slept well that night.

At that point, the goblins were starting to become disheartened. The fate of the planet may hang in the balance, and yet, Jareth seemed no closer to proposing, nor Sarah to confessing her love for him. Sure, they still had another night, but how much else could they change before they were permanently bogged?

While Jareth and Sarah headed to a large pond nearby to ice skate, a group of creeping marauders burrowed through the snow toward the kitchen, about to make another brilliant maneuver in the legendary Winterfest games. Jareth and Sarah enjoyed relative peace again on the ice, though Jareth kept fearing that somehow the ice was not as thick as needed (or get goblin help), so he kept close to Sarah. Sarah did not mind at all.

When it was time for lunch, Jareth and Sarah arrived home to find that half of their pantry was gone! The fridge had the barest of necessities in it, so they made good use of what they did have. With some pasta and leftover meat from the day before, combined with whatever spices they could lay their hands on, a fine leftovers casserole was made, and both enjoyed the fruits of their labors.

When it was reading time, both were shocked to discover that instead of books, they now had Sarah's baby album, and a wide variety of nail polish and hair accessories. Jareth found this form of entertainment more to his liking, so he sat behind Sarah and began braiding her hair. Once upon a time, his mother had braided his sister's hair, and she had taught him so that he could braid his sister's hair as well. Now, he could give Sarah a crown braid and decorate it with flowers. Meanwhile, Sarah enjoyed having her hair be played with and talked about the baby photos, telling embarrassing stories from her past. After dinner, Jareth insisted upon painting Sarah's nails in every color he could find, while Sarah continued to tell stories.

When Jareth tried to give Sarah puke green nails, Sarah protested.

"Jareth, don't do what I think you're doing. It's a terrible color."

"But it's green like your eyes. A little right here-" said Jareth, smirking.

"Don't you give me that look, you Puckish fiend. You're gonna get it! I dare you to put on any more, or so help me-"

"Oh, I dare, Sarah. It wouldn't matter if you triple dog-dared me, I'd still do it to see the look on your face right now," said Jareth, very pleased with himself.

Jareth proceeded to paint another nail, snapping up Sarah's other hands before she could do anything else. Instead, the hot pink nail polish he intended to use next was knocked over by Sarah's leg in the tussle that followed. Jareth pouted in his best cute owl expression, while Sarah laughed at the pink nightmare that was now his forest green and hot pink leather pants. Ah, revenge was sweet, or hot pink in this case.

Jareth got up with as much grace as he could in such pants, and went to the bedroom to change. Sarah chuckled at the murmurs of finding magic nail polish remover as she finished up her nails, removing the dreadful shade of green. Jareth came back out and proceeded to put away all the nail polish before leaning over Sarah and picking her up, taking her kicking and laughing to the bedroom since it was time for bed.

That night, after sharing a warmer than normal kiss under the blankets, Sarah fell asleep almost as soon as Jareth pulled away. But, the moment that his body moved off her bed to settle in his own, Sarah felt uncomfortable and cold. Her hand reached for Jareth, who took hers with concern.

"It's better when you're close, Jareth. Do you mind?" said Sarah in a whisper.

"It's also warmer, Precious. But when have I ever minded?"

Jareth soon was spooning Sarah, and both had never felt warmer or slept better than they had that first night. Jareth woke first, admiring the face that he woke up to.

"Such soft features, in such a fiercely independent lady. Such smooth, silky strands that hide away all the strength and confidence contained in that mind of yours. How I yearn to call you mine."

The last part of what he said had lowered in volume, and his hold on her had slackened as he said it. And yet, as soon as he let go, she, still unconscious, reached out for him and pulled him to her. It was all the confirmation he needed to ask her. Sarah had grown to trust him in time, and last night was the crowning moment of his success. Yes, she had to love and trust him. He would ask at breakfast.

With such a decision made, Jareth stayed in bed with Sarah until she woke up. She was affectionate in the morning, and he liked that about her, among many other things. And if for some reason she did not want that, then he would respect her wishes, for he had learned to respect her long ago. There was a reason she was the Labyrinth's Champion. And his respect for her had only grown with time.

When Sarah woke up, she had a groggy smile and kiss for Jareth, and he returned it until she was awake enough to appreciate it. When they finally left the bed, they discovered that they felt warmer than normal. Sarah confirmed her thoughts by placing a hand over the vents, where warm air made her hand seem softer.

A sweep of the kitchen and bathrooms revealed that everything had been righted, even his pants were no longer bright pink. A large breakfast was made, and all was enjoyed, until the end. It was in the center of the table where a large, ripe peach sat. Jareth saw it first and went to grab it, and he almost had it when Sarah's eyes fell on it.

"Jareth, why is that here?"

"I believe the goblins are under the impression that we need a peach to communicate."

"But we don't. We know each other's dreams, don't we?"

Sarah looked up at Jareth then, the naïve question out there. She did not like Jareth's face, but he was quick to take her hand instead of the peach.

"While I can see your dreams, there are still some aspects I regret to say that I don't know as much as I'd like. And I doubt you know all that lies in my heart. But I'd like you to know all of it, and one part in particular."

The answering smile of Sarah was all he needed to continue.

"Sarah, for some time now, I've known my feelings for you. I've felt this way for months, and have known for much longer that I wanted you for my queen. But not just that, Precious. I love you. I want to share my forever with you by my side. Will you marry me?"

Jareth's face hid the churning emotions from confidence to doubt, of fear of rejection, to joy in the freedom that he could finally speak of such things to Sarah. His remembrance of Sarah's actions in the bed pushed him to continue on, and he did. He saw the range of emotions that flitted across Sarah's face as he spoke. First was surprise. Then came the lip-biting, her tell for nervousness. Then her eyes softened, and a smile crept in, slowly making a permanent home on her face as her chin lifted. It was there. She felt the same joy he felt.

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you. With all my heart. I love you, too, Jareth."

While the happy couple kissed and Jareth fished out the ring, another celebration was happening outside of their window. Where the goblins lacked for streamers, they made up for in snow balls that flew into the air.

While the games had no technical winner, the team that brought in the peach tried to claim it as their plan all along, while the rest of goblins chuffed and went back to cheering and making lots of noise. They needed to get back so that they could start early with the celebrations, and that was what they did. Many a bonfire was started that night.

Once the goblins left, there remained only three figures at the window: a dwarf, a rockcaller, and a noble knight. Sir Didymus was tearing, offering his handkerchief to Ludo, who cried large tears of joy. Hoggle did not cry, only smile. He had watched Sarah's face only, and that told him all he needed to know. Once they were satisfied, the three left as well, attempting to make up for the fact that they had invaded the couple's privacy, and would no doubt hear much about it later. But no one had any regrets.

The rest of the day went just as Jareth had originally planned it. After some time outdoors, the couple bonded with board games and other things until they tired of that, and sat by the fire on the loveseat, enjoying one another's presence.

When it was time to go, it was hard to leave. After all the adventures that they had together, they would miss the cabin, and the quiet. But, there was good news to share, and both were eager to tell Sarah's family. Upon arrival, the women locked eyes, and which led to hugging and congratulating Sarah, which led to even more hugging by Toby.

When Jareth left that night, he found that he had gained much in the matter of a day: a future wife, a second family, some back pain (from bending over with Toby), and a new idea for a bigger, better Bog of Eternal Stench. All in all, a very good day.

The goblin celebrations from Winterfest were some of the biggest yet. No one knew how they could continue such a tradition each year, but there were some already calling for it to become a contest to see who could make the King and Queen of the Goblins kiss the most in a certain time period. No matter what, all had gotten what they sought, and as they slept, visions of a certain couple getting married danced in their heads.

Meanwhile, Jareth enjoyed sleeping in his own bed; though he did not sleep much that first night. He was torn between construction projects: of redoing the suite for Sarah, and building a second Bog. Since the wedding was still some time away, he focused his energy on the Bog so that it smelled like Ovaltine when not touching it, and like rotten bog water when inside the muck. Revenge would be sweet indeed.

Back at her home, Sarah had certain images running through her mind. In particular was the moment when Jareth left. She was putting something away when he got to the door, and she flung herself at him, arms widening before clutching for dear life to Jareth. When their eyes met, Sarah felt as though she could see Jareth's dreams reflected in his eyes. Being able to share that moment was worth every second of cold and awkwardness. In seeing his dreams, she then wanted to share his, and together, they would make that a reality.

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**Author's Notes: Ahh, fluff. Did I mention that I grew up watching **_**A Christmas Story**_** for as long as I can remember? My family **_**loves **_**quoting this movie. I had way too much writing the beginning of this story. It seemed like fun to have a story where Jareth was without his crystals, and it is even more fun if goblin hijinks ensue. There's also a Love Actually quote in there, if you know where to look. Consider your daily fluff quota fulfilled. I hope you enjoyed, and that you had a great Christmas and New Year's! **

shadewatcher: Yay! Let's squee together over the fluff!I'm so glad you loved it! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

darkstar2010: Thanks! I'm happy you love it! My plan is to update monthly with new prompts. Thank you for reading and for the review!

SVJohnson8721: If you ever remember where you thought the beginning looks familiar, please let me know. I can't think of anywhere right now, but that's just me. I'm not familiar with the Adventures of Scamper, though I may have to find it now. Thanks! I join with you in hoping that he has a good retirement; I'll enjoy all that he has given us. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!


	4. Chapter 4: Them Apples

Sweet Possibilities

Chapter 4: Them Apples

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I don't own Labyrinth. I keep wishing, but Jareth never grants my wish. All rights go to their respective owners. There be spoilers ahead, but I will not say for what. Also, I cannot take all of the credit for this story. The idea behind this was inspired by my boyfriend, one of his thoughts after I watched **_**Labyrinth**_** with him. It's ridiculous, and it may scar your fangirl brains. You have been warned. This is another one-shot for livejournal's Labyfic group, for the monthly challenge. I hope you enjoy!**

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It felt like any other day as the Goblin Queen for Sarah. She had worked hard to rule and take care of her goblins, alongside her husband, Jareth. Now, it was night, and it was time for bed.

Sarah was already dressed for bed, and she was just waiting for Jareth to come out of the bathroom before they fell asleep together in one another's arms. Some nights they did not go to bed right away, and it just depended on their mood.

Upon seeing Jareth come into the bedroom, it seemed that they were not going to sleep any time soon. Jareth was already shirtless, and the sly grin on his face told her all she needed to know.

"Sarah love, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," said Jareth as he sauntered toward the bed.

"And what's that, Jareth? That you've given up wearing shirts to bed?"

Jareth grinned something wicked before leaning over the bed posts toward Sarah. She leaned toward him just a little more.

"Besides that. I know how much you prefer me without them," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

"It's not me I'm worried about. It's the goblins. They're liable to start writing songs about the gloriousness of your abs or the smoothness of your chest if they get exposed to it again."

Sarah attempted not to laugh as she inched toward the front of the bed, while Jareth's grin lowered slightly before becoming more sinister.

"Let's just keep this little secret in here then, shall we?"

"I suppose. But it's going to cost you, Jareth."

"I believe I can pay. Allow me to show you."

Jareth meandered over to the side of the bed, where Sarah sat and began to swing her legs. The swinging stopped as soon as Jareth started dancing for her. The way he moved his arms, she thought that he was going to do a strip tease for her. When he started singing softly, she realized he was.

It was when Jareth's hands got to the top of his pants that he stopped singing.

"Do you like what you see so far, Precious?"

"Oh, very much so. But I can't be sure that I'll be satisfied unless you continue," she said with a wink.

"As my wife commands."

With the pants gone, Jareth's movements became less fluid, and more….mechanical. His arms slid down at weird angles, while his legs went ramrod straight.

"Sarah, I've got a secret I want to tell you."

"What's that, Jareth?"

"Watch, and you'll see."

Sarah looked at all of Jareth, and then she saw it. The Bulge. On nights like this, she looked forward to the inspiration for many songs that the goblins sang when drunk. But something was different. She couldn't place it until it began to grow….wider than usual. When The Bulge reached _The Odyssey_ epic poem size, she began to wonder what was happening. And then the voice came.

"Sarah. Do you still like what you see?"

The trouble with this scene was that Jareth's lips were not moving. The voice was still coming from Jareth, and yet not from him, almost disembodied. What was going on?

"What did you say, Jareth?"

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

This time, Sarah was able to pinpoint the origin of the voice. It seemed to be coming from The Bulge. But that was impossible. How could it be? And how was it that the entire lower abdomen area seemed to be expanding? Sarah's inner voice began to scream. _The Bulge is alive!_

"I, I, I think not."

Sarah's inner mind theater was now plastering red lips and other humanoid characteristics onto the void, and it took all of her willpower to not burst out laughing. It was far better than the fear she was experiencing as she tried to understand what was unfolding.

"Come, come, Sarah. Stuttering, from you? I can't remember the last time you did that. Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I think so."

"That's what you think now," Jareth's voice said, as the rest of the body straightened up to attention.

It was then that Jareth's underwear were dropped. Sarah did not know what to expect, but whatever it was, it was not this. Instead of seeing what she was used to, she saw extra shiny skin, almost as though Jareth was a doll. And then, The Bulge moved.

Somehow, the skin seemed to swing out toward her. Then she heard the voice, much clearer now.

"Are you ready to learn my little secret, Sarah?"

Sarah was torn between morbid curiosity and fear about what was happening to Jareth. Curiosity won.

"Yes, I think so."

"Good. I've been waiting a long time for this moment, when I could take you fully into my confidence. Now you shall finally know who it is that you truly love."

Sarah's wide eyes only got bigger, and likewise, her mouth gaped open as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. Jareth was no longer Jareth. Jareth was…. a doll, or robot, or something of that sort. He had to be, as someone was crawling out from Jareth's lower regions, and while her mind saw the small foot and immediately named him "Mini-Jareth", she realized with horror who it was she was standing in front of.

Standing in front of her was none other than Hoggle!

Now granted, Hoggle had suddenly become a couple feet taller and still had Jareth's voice, but in all other looks, he was still Hoggle.

"Surprised, Sarah?"

Sarah was speechless for a few moments as her brain tried to comprehend what she had just seen. It could not be!

"Hoggle?"

"In the flesh. Who else did you expect?" he said, laughter in his voice.

"Not you."

Shock did not begin to cover what Sarah was experiencing. Hoggle could not be Jareth, or act like him, or speak like him.

"Then I have played my part well. It's alright, Sarah. I'm here for you."

He walked toward Sarah, but she backed away from him quickly.

"But-"

"But what? I'm still very much the same man you married all those years ago. I've been there for you every step of the way. I love you, Sarah, and always have."

"But what about my run? What about the times when you are both in the same room together? How did that happen?"

Sarah's brain refused to accept the fact that Hoggle was Jareth. There _had _to be a logical explanation.

"Very well. I might as well explain now and just get this out of the way. You'll have to pretend like you never saw this tomorrow, anyway."

"I don't understand."

"Sarah, Jareth never existed. I was a dwarf, brought up among the royalty, but I could not be king. So, I decided to create my own kingdom. I found the goblins, and with the help of a sorcerer, created a being that the goblins would respect, Jareth. I modeled him after all the fae I'd met in the past, and I made him fearsome. And the goblins, gullible things, fell for it."

"But how did you and I-"

"A little before you and I met, I was lonely. I wanted a wife, but I couldn't have a dwarf, which would give away my secret. The aforementioned sorcerer was instrumental in showing me who would be a proper wife for me, you. So, I sent you the red book and waited. I created a robot version of myself in the meantime, someone who spoke in the common dwarf tongue, in the hopes that you would fall in love with me in the process of our adventure together. When that didn't work, I was satisfied that you liked Jareth, so I waited until you were old enough to officially court."

"I don't believe you. This can't be happening."

Sarah stood in the center of the bedroom, disbelief all over her face. It simply could not be! She was missing something; she had to be!

"Sarah, this is happening. Jareth was only one version of the real me, the one who has loved you ever since laying eyes on you when you were fifteen."

"That's just a little creepy, you know?"

"You didn't think so when we started dating, and I said as much."

Sarah looked ready to argue, but Hoggle would have none of it.

"Enough of this. We're married now, and none of it matters. You can't escape me, Sarah. You're mine now."

"No!"

Sarah made for the door, but Hoggle was there. She tried to disappear from the room with her magic, but she could not. She was trapped.

"Sarah, don't make me into the villain again. I'm still your husband."

"No, you're not! I want my Jareth back!"

"I _am _Jareth! And there's nothing you can do to change it."

"There's always a way. There has to be."

"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late."

Sarah shivered at the familiar words. What was wrong? What was she forgetting? She tried yet again to open the door, but Hoggle was there.

"Sarah, don't defy me!"

Hoggle reached for her hand, and Sarah ran backwards to escape. The problem was that she ended up against the bed. Hoggle was stalking toward her now.

Sarah had to think fast. What else could she do to distract him and then escape? This was not the nice Hoggle she knew at all!

Hoggle stood in front of Sarah now, legs spread apart and arms crossed triumphantly. He smiled. He might have won Sarah over, were it not for what he next said.

"It's only forever, not long at all."

At such sacred words being uttered by Hoggle, Sarah screamed, grabbing the nearest thing to her, the glittery bed sheets. He had to stop talking now! Sarah threw the blankets on top of Hoggle, pushing down on him to give her more time to escape.

It was as Sarah was opening the door that she heard a strangled cry.

"Sarah, please! Wait. Don't let me die alone."

Confused, Sarah turned to see Hoggle standing on top of the covers, the glitter from them covering him everywhere. He frowned as his hand reached out to her.

"Oh, Sarah, my clever girl. How could you know my one weakness is glitter?"

"Really, glitter? Of all things?"

Sarah was beginning to wonder if she had hit her head on something.

"Yes. That's why it was essential for me to build Jareth, to protect myself from all the horrible glitter. Hate the stuff. And now, I melt away. Good-bye, Sarah!" he wailed.

Sarah watched as Hoggle melted away into a puddle, just like the Wicked Witch of the West. He screamed as he disappeared, until there was no more. Sarah stood in wonder as she tried to understand what she had just witnessed until suddenly, the floor and walls started spinning. For a moment, Sarah was reminded of the first time that Jareth brought Sarah Underground for a date.

And then, Sarah was in bed. The haze in her eyes lifted, and she recognized what she felt like, as though she were just waking up from that peach-induced dream of her run all those years ago. Wait a second. That meant that it was all a dream! Which also meant….

"Jareth! You're still you!"

Jareth stirred at the sudden scream of joy with which Sarah said his name. He opened his eyes, confused by her last words. He was even more surprised when she pulled back the covers and his pants to look at him.

"Yep, that's the mini-Jareth I know and love."

"Mini-Jareth? When did I get one of those?"

Jareth was trying to understand what his wife was saying. Whatever dream she just had, he really wanted to know the details.

"Sarah, care to explain all this?"

After Sarah told him her dream, Jareth sat and puzzled in bed. He found the retelling hilarious and a little disturbing, but he could not understand why she would dream of that, of all things.

"Sarah, what did you do earlier today?"

"I spent the day with Toby, as you know."

"Yes, but what did you do with him?"

Jareth had a good idea of what had happened, and a look at his vanity proved him right. Now to explain it to Sarah.

"Toby and I watched two movies today. We saw the _Wizard of Oz_ in preparation for his school's musical, and then _Scooby-Doo_."

Sarah had a light bulb moment as she considered the end of her dream with regard to the _Wizard of Oz_. When she considered _Scooby-Doo_, she began to laugh.

"Sarah, I'm familiar with the _Wizard of Oz_, but not _Scooby-Doo_. What's that?"

"It's about a group of teenagers who go around solving mysteries with a talking dog named Scooby-Doo. Scooby also has a nephew, Scrappy-Doo, who used to solve mysteries but was forced to leave. He talked as well. You find out at the end of the movie that the villain was none other than Scrappy, who ended up living in and creating a robot who looked like a guy the teenagers knew. It's a cheesy movie, but both Toby and I love it."

Jareth laughed at how the pieces were coming together.

"Sarah, it seems the mystery has been solved as to why you dreamed about such things."

"Yes, but it doesn't explain why I felt as though I was inside another one of your peach-induced dreams. I thought that couldn't affect me anymore since I'm full fae now."

Sarah scrunched her mouth together, trying to look annoyed at the thought of being affected by enchanted fruit again.

"Oh, Sarah, I know why. Tell me, what did you do before you went to bed when you came back here?"

"I read some stuff, and I ate an apple off of your vanity over there. I was going to tell you I did so in the morning, I promise!"

Sarah looked sincere with her palms up in front of her, and Jareth calmed her down with a smile as he held her hands.

"I believe you, Sarah. But, I'm afraid that that dream was the apple's doing."

"How? Are apples exempt from the rules?"

Jareth laughed at Sarah's baffled expression.

"No, they're not exempt because I bewitched them myself. I made them especially for immortals. Sadly, they were not intended for you."

Sarah wrinkled her face. "Then who were they for?"

"I intended to give them to Puck when he next visits with news from the other courts. I owe him after last time's prank."

"But there's more than one apple there."

"So? All the more reason for him to give it to other poor saps he meets while spreading the news, hopefully to some I don't like. How does that phrase go? Misery loves company?"

A smile appeared and grew on Sarah's face. "Now I understand."

"I'm glad, Sarah. Now, are you ready to go back to sleep?"

"I'm not sure. I'm pretty awake after all that. I also don't know how I'm going to face Hoggle in the morning."

"Hogwash will survive," he said, waving his hand to prevent Sarah's correction to Hoggle's real name. "Now, come here and snuggle with me. I'll keep all those pesky nightmares away."

"Thanks, Jareth."

"Anytime, love. Just be glad that you're full fae now."

"I am. I'd hate to see what watermelons give me, now that I know what apples do."

"There's a reason apples seem to be chosen for the bringer of ill news in fairy tales. They just inspire those kinds of horrible nightmares. I'll tell you about the rest in the morning. Good night," he said, kissing Sarah on the forehead.

"Thank you, Jareth. Good night."

And so the couple slept. No more apples were eaten for a while, but the two did experiment with other fruits as Sarah learned of the joys of other fresh fruit.

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**Author's Notes: I'm sorry but not sorry for writing this. It entertained me so much; I just had to write it! As I said, all thanks/blame goes to my boyfriend. He's supportive of my writing, so I can't complain. I hope you got a good laugh out of it somewhere along the way. Thanks for reading!**

SVJohnson8721: Oh good! I'm glad that is not the case. I'd much rather give credit where due. Sounds like an interesting choose your own adventure. I couldn't agree more about Sarah and Jareth being together. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

3iggy: Thank you! I'm so happy you love the fluff! It's my favorite thing by far, as I do get tired of angst after a while, too. Thanks so much for reading ahead and checking that what I'm writing is not too crazy. And thanks for the review!


	5. Chapter 5: Have Stick Will Travel

Sweet Possibilities

Chapter 5: Have Stick, Will Travel

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I don't own Labyrinth. All rights go to their respective owners. I was driving one day, and I saw a license plate. Part of it inspired this one-shot, something for the livejournal Labyfic challenge of February. It's short and silly, and has a special crossover guest! I hope you enjoy!**

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"Jareth, I'm home! Jareth?"

Sarah had gone out for the day, a much needed girl's day of pampering. She needed company who was female and who she could have a real conversation with, as being Goblin Queen had its benefits and drawbacks. Yes, she got to spend all of her time with Jareth, whom she loved dearly, but once in a while, she just needed a day away from the chaos of goblins.

"Queenie home! Hi, Queenie!"

A ragtag group of dirty goblins appeared in front of Sarah, waving and ready to embrace her. Sarah had intended to let them embrace her (as Jareth refused), until she saw that they were in need of a bath. This confused her, as today was Jareth's day to force the goblins to wash up.

"Where's Jareth? Why didn't you all bathe?"

The goblins leaped away from their queen at the mention of bathing before answering.

"Kingy can't! Has low-key."

"A low key? So he didn't bathe you because he couldn't hit a particular note while singing? He better have a better excuse than that. Jareth!"

Sarah turned and hurried away from her subjects as annoyance set in. Jareth got out of things in the past, but this was one thing he was _not _allowed to avoid. It had been three months since the goblins had bathed, and she had no intention of doing it two times in a row. She did not enjoy having to drag goblins sitting in the Bog of Eternal Stench (as if that would stop her) out of it in order to force them to bathe.

The goblins tried to stop their queen, but they decided that it would be more fun to just watch her get upset with their king. They were fond of Sarah, as she actually stood up to Jareth. The king and queen yelling at one another was a great show to behold.

Sarah was on her way to the throne room when she heard Jareth's voice, followed closely by Jareth appearing in a leopard-print poet's shirt and brown leather pants.

"Sarah, love, what seems to be the issue?"

Jareth leaned in to kiss her, but she moved away from him at the last second. If he thought he could kiss her after this stunt, then he might have spent too much time sniffing the Bog himself.

"Jareth, I think you know what the problem is. Why aren't the goblins cleaned by now?"

"Didn't our faithful subjects tell you upon arriving?" he said, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Yes, something about you having an issue with singing. That's utter crap for a reason, and you know it."

"Sarah, you cut me to the quick. You don't trust what they say to you anymore?"

"I am _so _not having this conversation with you right now. Excuse me."

With that said, Sarah pushed Jareth to the side and continued toward the throne room. After turning another corner, Jareth appeared again, this time in a zebra-print shirt with black pants.

"Sarah, are you mad at me?"

"Of course I am, you silly goose! You are twisting words and trying to get out of something you know you aren't allowed to. I won't stand for it."

Jareth's face went from hurt to impassive as he leaned toward her, attempting to kiss her again.

"Come here, love, let's talk about this like rational adults."

"When did you become an adult, Mr. I'm the Goblin King Who Twirls While Singing?"

"I don't twirl; I dance regally," Jareth said, turning up his nose.

"Sure, just like you stuff your pants to make an impression. Either way, that's not happening. Pardon me."

And so Sarah continued walking toward the throne room, only to be stopped by Jareth yet again, this time in a Hawaiian pink floral-print shirt with white pants. The combination of his avoiding the subject and strange choices in clothing really were beginning to grind Sarah's gears.

"Sarah, you didn't let me finish. You're upset with me, and you have no reason to be."

"You lying sack of potatoes! There," she said, pointing to a dirty goblin, "is one of many reasons to be upset with you. When you're ready to own up to why you didn't do as you said you would, come find me. I'll be in our room, waiting."

Sarah scooted by Jareth, who grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

"Sarah, if you think I'm letting you leave with that look on your face-"

With a shove, Sarah wriggled out of Jareth's embrace.

"If you think I'm going to kiss you right now and forget everything, you've got another thing coming."

Jareth made a pouty face at being found out. Sarah had a weakness for his kisses, yes. Which was exactly why she was avoiding him.

"At least go to the throne room first."

Sarah sighed as she threw up her hands. "Fine."

Sarah continued toward the throne room, until Jareth appeared _yet again, _this time in a tight rainbow-colored polka dot shirt with jeans. How he still managed to look good in it, she had no idea, but she was getting a little tired of all the dress changes.

"What is it now, Jareth?"

"What, exactly, did the goblins give as the reason for your displeasure?"

"What does it matter?"

"Oh, I think it makes all the difference. Please humor me, Sarah."

"They said you can't because you have low-key."

"A low key?"

"Yes. How you explained that to them, I have no idea. I didn't think you would exert yourself like that again after your failed attempt to explain why I get moody once a month."

Jareth shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts of said memories. That was a lot of awkward questions.

"I promise you, my dear, that there is a good reason why the goblins said that to you. They are actually quite accurate."

"So you're saying that I misunderstood," Sarah said, giving Jareth a questioning look.

"Yes. But it's alright, love. We all have those moments, and I'll forgive you right now for it. We can make up now about it if you'd like. Now, if you will follow me-"

Jareth finagled his way to get an arm around Sarah's waist as he tried to distract her. Sarah let it happen for several seconds before breaking free of him and his far-too-close face.

"Jareth, did I, or did I not say that I don't want to kiss you right now? Your attempts to sweet talk me are failing. Why didn't you bathe the goblins like you said you would? I really want to throw something at you right now!"

"Then I suggest you go into the throne room before you start aiming."

With that, Jareth disappeared in a flash of glitter, and Sarah went into the throne room. Her hands were fisted at her sides, but they loosened the moment that she realized what she was witnessing.

Before Sarah was not only Jareth, but four other Jareths! She had seen all but the one lounging on the throne, him in understated blue and green plaid with forest green pants. What was going on? Annoyance changed to despair at the thought of having to deal with five different Jareths on a regular basis.

"Oh no. What have I ever done to deserve this great punishment?" she said, her arms flailing.

"So, Sarah love, who do you wish to throw things at?"

"Who? I'm tempted to throw something at all of you. How did you pull this off? I didn't think your magic could do this."

"Sarah, think about what the goblins told you."

Sarah stood and pondered for a moment about Jareth and his low key. Why should a low key matter? It was only when the words were running faster than the cleaners through her mind that the two were squashed together. Loki. That sneaky, tricksy little god of mischief!

"Loki! What did I tell you about making surprise visits? At least bring your wife!"

All of the Jareths laughed at Sarah as she tried to figure out which one was her husband. She did not have time to deal with Loki and his pranks, as well as Jareth and dirty goblins. This was supposed to be a relaxing day!

"Any ideas on which one of us is yours?"

The Jareths continued to laugh as Sarah continued to stand and puzzle. Then, Sarah's version of an evil smile appeared on her face.

The goblins knew to fear Sarah's look, as it usually meant someone was in trouble. That it was Jareth meant they needed to all witness it. Whispers could be heard behind Sarah as the number of goblins in the room increased.

"Loki, where's your glow stick of destiny? I'd have thought you'd bring it with you."

When there was no answer or change in facial expression, Sarah continued, preparing a crystal. The goblins looked at Sarah's hand, and it seemed as though the number of goblins in the room multiplied exponentially, almost reaching critical mass. This was going to be fun.

Sarah continued, "I see. You left yours at home, and you need a substitute. Never fear, I have just the one for you. Here!"

Sarah threw the crystal, and in the next moment, the lights dimmed, bringing with it arm-sized glow sticks in front of every Jareth, each a different neon color. The goblins had never seen anything so beautiful or colorful before.

"Pwetty…"

"I'm glad you think so, my dear goblins. Go ahead and play with them. I made them just for you."

With that, a stampede of greasy, grimy goblins made their way towards the five glowing beacons of neon-colored wonder. And just as fast, four of the Jareths disappeared.

"You're on your own now, Jareth. Good luck with her."

"And don't forget your wife next time, Loki!"

"Will do," Loki said as he laughed and disappeared.

Meanwhile, goblins were fascinated by the glow sticks and how the colorful light seemed to move if they tilted it. Jareth lounged and looked with disdain at the affectionate displays shown by his subjects over such silly things.

"Any time you're ready to explain yourself, Jareth."

Jareth carefully ignored Sarah, choosing instead to sulk in his throne. After a little time, he finally spoke.

"Annoying, two-faced imp. He barely lasted ten minutes around you before he ran away. I can't believe I agreed to his ideas. On the plus side, at least he owes me."

"And why does he owe you?" asked Sarah, looking curious.

"Because he bet that he could get you to kiss him while he was me. I bet a great deal that you would do no such thing. I know what you're capable of."

Sarah smiled before making her way toward Jareth, who was getting out of his seat and heading out of the throne room. Her annoyance had melted away upon seeing Jareth sulking and realizing that Loki had probably been there all day. That, and Jareth had bet in her favor, which was flattering in its own way.

"So you're going to have Loki help you bathe next time, right?"

"You know, Precious, I just might. Maybe we should reinstate that six month bathing rule, just for him."

"Jareth, you're terrible."

Jareth gave Sarah a lopsided grin at being called such a name before putting an arm around Sarah.

"Yes, well, you'll have to punish me later for it. Right now, I'm tired."

"I am, too. I hope Loki taught you some good tricks for getting the goblins to bathe faster," she said, squirming out of his arms yet again with a playful look on her face.

"And why should I do such a thing at this hour when it's almost time for bed? I can do it tomorrow."

"You and I both know you'll put it off."

"So? What incentive do I have?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Sarah.

"Let's put it this way: if you finish in the next hour, I'll let you help me bathe tonight. I had an exfoliation treatment today."

It was amazing just how fast Jareth could act when he really tried.

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**Author's Notes: So, that was super silly. When part of a license plate said "5GKNO", I had an image of Sarah groaning in despair if she were to see such a sight. And so this came to be. I don't own Loki either, I promise. I've been meaning to do a Loki and Jareth crossover for some time now, so it was nice to finally write one. I'm going to have to do more in the future. I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! **

Amaya Shinkuyoake: Haha yes, poor Mini-Jareth and Sarah. It was a most trying night for their egos and sanity. I'm glad you survived! Thanks so much for reading and for the review!

SVJohnson8721: Yes, A Midsummer Night's Dream is most appropriate here, and in general. Fits so perfectly for how I feel about that chapter. Sorry you didn't get the Scooby-Doo reference right away, but I hope things have cleared up now! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

3iggy: Oh, such a well-placed pun! I like it! We all need more bad puns in our lives. Thanks again for the encouragement, and for reading and reviewing!


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